A keyboard includes a circuit board having an upper surface, a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, and a plurality of cut-out portions, a plurality of key modules positioned on the upper surface and over the plurality of cut-out portions, and a plurality of light sources installed on the lower surface of the circuit board, wherein at least a portion of at least one light source is positioned in a corresponding cut-out portion. Each light source includes a light emitting portion coupled to the second circuit layer. At least some of the light emitting portion is disposed in the cut-out portion beneath and bounded by the key module.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A keyboard, comprising: a circuit board having an upper surface, a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, a plurality of locking slots in said circuit board, and a plurality of cut-out portions in said circuit board, wherein each locking slot of the plurality of locking slots is located laterally adjacent a corresponding cut-out portion of the plurality of cut-out portions in the same circuit board, and each locking slot is laterally separated from the corresponding cut-out portion by a portion of the circuit board in which the locking slot and the corresponding cut-out portion are located; a plurality of key modules positioned on the upper surface and over the plurality of cut-out portions, wherein at least a portion of each key module is received in a corresponding locking slot of the circuit board; and a plurality of light sources installed on the lower surface of the circuit board, wherein at least a portion of at least one light source is positioned in a corresponding cut-out portion.
2. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of locking slots and the plurality of cut-out portions are coplanar.
3. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein each light source includes a light emitting portion and a connector for connecting the light source to the circuit board.
4. The keyboard of claim 3 , wherein the light emitting portion of the at least one light source is substantially flush with the upper surface of the circuit board.
5. The keyboard of claim 3 , wherein the light emitting portion of the at least one light source protrudes from the upper surface of the circuit board.
6. The keyboard of claim 3 , wherein the light emitting portion of the at least one light source is displaced from the upper surface inside the cut-out portion.
7. The keyboard of claim 3 , wherein each light source is positioned beneath and bounded by a corresponding key module, and the connector is coupled to the lower surface of the circuit board.
8. The keyboard of claim 3 , wherein the upper surface of the circuit board includes a first circuit layer and the lower surface of the circuit board includes a second circuit layer, and the connector is coupled to the second circuit layer.
9. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein each key module is positioned above and at least bounds the corresponding cut-out portion.
10. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein each key module includes a key cap disposed on a key seat, and the key seat includes a base having a locking portion at a bottom end thereof and received in the corresponding locking slot, and an actuator at a top end thereof and received in the base.
11. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources are presented in a direction from the lower surface of the circuit board to the upper surface of the circuit board.
12. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein each locking slot and the corresponding cut-out portion adjacent thereto are separate and distinct openings in the circuit board.
13. The keyboard of claim 1 , further comprising: a housing including, a base plate, a casing arranged on the base plate and at least practical surrounding the circuit board, the base plate and casing configured to support the circuit board, and a positioning rack arranged over the circuit board, wherein the positioning rack includes a plurality of openings, and at least one opening of the plurality of openings includes positioned therein a key module of the plurality of key modules.
14. A keyboard, comprising: a circuit board having an upper surface, a lower surface opposite the upper surface, a plurality of locking slots in said circuit board, a plurality of cut-out portions in said circuit board, wherein each locking slot of the plurality of locking slots is located laterally adjacent a corresponding cut-out portion of the plurality of cut-out portions in the same circuit board, each locking slot is laterally separated from the corresponding cut-out portion by a portion of the circuit board in which the locking slot and the corresponding cut-out portion are located, and further wherein a first circuit layer is disposed on the upper surface and a second circuit layer is disposed on the lower surface; a plurality of key modules installed in the upper surface, each key module positioned over a corresponding cut-out portion and covering the cut-out portion entirely, and at least a portion of each key module received in a corresponding locking slot of the circuit board; and a plurality of light sources, each light source installed on the lower surface and in a corresponding cut-out portion, wherein each light source includes a light emitting portion and a connector connecting the light source to the second circuit layer, and at least some of the light emitting portion is disposed in the cut-out portion and is positioned beneath and bounded by the key module.
15. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of locking slots and the plurality of cut-out portions are coplanar.
16. The keyboard of claim 14 , further comprising: a housing including, a base plate, a casing arranged on the base plate and at least practical surrounding the circuit board, the base plate and casing configured to support the circuit board, and a positioning rack arranged over the circuit board, wherein the positioning rack includes a plurality of openings, and at least one opening of the plurality of openings includes positioned therein a key module of the plurality of key modules.
17. The keyboard of claim 16 , further comprising: each key module includes a key cap disposed on a key seat, and the key seat includes a base having a locking portion at a bottom end thereof and received in a corresponding locking slot, and an actuator at a top end thereof and received in the base.
18. The keyboard of claim 17 , wherein the key seat includes a light transmitting material.
19. The keyboard of claim 17 , wherein each opening of the plurality of openings includes the key seat of a corresponding key module disposed therein.
20. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein the light emitting portion is substantially flush with the upper surface of the circuit board.
21. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein the light emitting portion protrudes from the upper surface of the circuit board.
22. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein the light emitting portion is displaced from the upper surface inside the cut-out portion.
23. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of light sources are presented in a direction from the lower surface of the circuit board to the upper surface of the circuit board.
24. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein each locking slot and the corresponding cut-out portion adjacent thereto are separate and distinct openings in the circuit board.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
July 15, 2019
September 21, 2021
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